URute wendela kuBhowazi
1Wenjenjeya uBhowazi ukusinga kwindawo yembizo ngasemasangweni omzi, wafika wahlala phantsi. Esahleli apho, kwathi gqi isizalwana sikaElimeleki esingumkhululi, esiya wayethethe ngaso kuRute, wasibiza esithi: “Khawuz' apha, mfondini, uhlale phantsi.”
Siyile ke, safika sahlala phantsi, 2waza uBhowazi wabiza ishumi lamadoda amakhulu omzi, wathi kuwo: “Khanikhe nithi nqwadalala apha.” Enjenjalo ke. 3UBhowazi wabhekisa kwisizalwana sakhe esingumkhululi wenjenje: “UNawomi obuyileyo eMowabhi ufuna ukuwuthengisa lowa mhlaba womntakwethu uElimeleki. 4Ndithe lo mbandela ndokha ndiwuphalaze kuwe apha phambi kwaba bantu balapha kunye nala madoda makhulu akowethu, ndiqonde ukuba uyawuthatha na. Ukuba uyawuthatha, wuthathe; kodwa ukuba akuwuthathi, ndixelele. Kaloku akukho mntu unelungelo ngaphezu kwakho; nkqu nam ndilandela wena.”
“Hayi, ndiza kuyithatha loo ntsimi,” watsho loo mfo.
5UBhowazi wathi: “Uze uqonde ukuba mhla wathatha laa ntsimi kuNawomi uthatha noRute, umka-mfi, ukuze lingaze licime igama lakhe kwilifa lakhe.”
6Uthe loo mfo: “Xa kunjalo ke mna andizi kuyithatha loo ntsimi, kuba ndiya kuba ndizifaka engxakini yokubeka umzi wam esichengeni. Ungayithatha wena; mna andinako.”
7Ngaloo maxesha xa kuthengiswa okanye kunananiselwana umthengisi wayekhulula imbadada, anike umthengi. Ayebonakalisa ngaloo ndlela amaSirayeli ukuba umcimbi ugqityiwe.
8Wathi ke lo mfo akuthi kuBhowazi: “Yithathe,” watsho ekhulula imbadada yakhe.
9UBhowazi ubhekise kwababelapho kunye namadoda amakhulu, wathi: “Namhlanje nonke ningamangqina okuba namhla ndithathe konke okukaElimeleki kuNawomi. Nditsho nokukaKiliyon noMalon oonyana bakhe. 10Ngaphezu koko umka-Malon, umMowabhikazi uRute, uza kuba ngumkam. Loo nto iya kwenza ukuba izinto zikamfi zihlale zizezakubo, lize negama lakhe lingaze licime kumawabo nasezimbalini zakowabo. Ningamangqina aloo nto ke namhlanje.”
11Amadoda amakhulu nabo bonke ababelapho ngasemasangweni bavuma bathi: “Singamangqina. *UNdikhoyo ubenga angamenza lo mfazi umthathayo afuze ooRakeli noLeya, bona bayakhayo indlu kaSirayeli. Nawe sikunqwenelela iwonga phakathi kwabemi base-Efrata, igama lakho libe nodumo eBhetelehem. 12Ngenzala oya kuyinikwa nguNdikhoyo ngalo mfazi yanga indlu yakho ingafana nekaPerezi unyana kaJuda ngoTamare.”
Inzala kaBhowazi noRute
13UBhowazi ke wamthatha uRute waba ngumfazi wakhe. *UNdikhoyo wamthamsanqelisa, wamitha, wazala umntwana oyinkwenkwe. 14Abafazi balapho bathi kuNawomi: “Makabongwe uNdikhoyo ngokukupha umzukulwana onokujonga kuye! Belinga lingaba nodumo igama lakhe kwaSirayeli! 15Uya kubuhlaziya ubomi bakho, akulondoloze ekwaluphaleni kwakho. Umzalelwe ngumolokazana wakho okuthandayo noxabiso lakhe kuwe ligqitha ixabiso loonyana abasixhenxe.”
16Wamfunqula loo mntwana uNawomi, wamsingatha, waba yimpelesi yakhe.
17Abafazi balapho bathi: “UNawomi unomntwana oyinkwenkwe.” Baza bamthiya igama, bathi nguObhedi.
UObhedi yena ngulo wazala uJese uyise kaDavide.
18Nguwo ke lo umlibo osuka kuPerezi use kuDavide: UPerezi uzele uHezeron; uHezeron uzele uRam; 19uRam uzele uAminadabhi; 20uAminadabhi uzele uNashon; uNashon uzele uSalman; 21uSalman uzele uBhowazi; uBhowazi uzele uObhedi; 22uObhedi uzele uJese; uJese uzele uDavide.
